A couple of months back, a coworker and I were discussing possible release dates for Mists of Pandaria. Ever hopeful, I declared that the next World of Warcraft expansion would see a mid- to late-August launch, whereas he felt it would more than likely be in either September or October.

Well, now that July is almost over with and we have nary heard a peep from Blizzard, I think it's safe to say that an August launch is looking increasingly unrealistic. We still have to have the pre-launch patch, as well as a launch event to get the ball rolling. Still, I remain hopeful that by some fluke of time and space warping, we will see Mists drop before the leaves do.

Regardless of when the game actually releases, I have banked up some vacation time at work, and I plan on taking at least two days toward getting my character to 90 and starting the gear grind. I did something similar for Cataclysm, and I absolutely loved it. The feeling of jumping in heroics a couple days after launch, figuring out those brand new fights with random strangers, seeing a shiny new piece of loot that you could actually use -- the whole experience was refreshing. Post-launch play feels like a totally different game than the pre-expansion lull that we're currently experiencing.

So, readers, what plans do you have for launch? Are you also impatiently waiting for a release date so you can plan to be "sick" for a couple days? Have any get-togethers or LAN parties on the books? How about venturing around the lost continent of Pandaria while laying on a sandy beach somewhere?

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Tags: launch-day, mists-of-pandaria

Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Mists of Pandaria